Author
Topic: Royal Company (Read 2557 times)

Kit looked out over the sprawl of Kurr. Her perspective was far different from when she last saw her shadow in this city. Before, she was down amongst the daily folks who were doing all they could to make their living. Now, however, she viewed the sites from the view of Vallensun Keep- the residence of Arch-Duke Corwyn and Arch-Duchess Nicola Vallensun.

Her room was decorated with the quality trappings of a guest room. The architecture of the keep was both utilitarian and decorative, but not extravagantly so, as was her room. It seemed that a place of royalty would have a far more lavish atmosphere but this place was not so vain. The room had it’s ornamental tapestries and odd statues- mostly of wolves. Kit recalled that each City-State was associated with a particular animal. The wolf was the mascot of Kurr.

The morning sun beamed through the blue stained glass windows and it almost gave the feeling of being under water. Playfully, Kit imagined fish swimming by and smiled. She recalled the dolphins from her sea-faring days that the sailors took as a sign of good fortune. On one occasion, Kit actually saw one of the sailors hold a fish out over the bow and a dolphin leap straight out of the water to snatch the plump fish. Kit giggled with the memory and continued to stare out over the city.

The morning had just begun and the many days travel from Threshold left Kit feeling grubby. Stretching out of the nights rest, she looked around for any wash bins and came to realize that there was already a fire in the hearth with a large boiling kettle. Next to it was a bronze bathing vessel that, oddly enough, had dolphins swimming amongst curly waves in bas-relief.

The door opened up and Kit could feel a zephyr of cool air tumble into the room. A woman entered and said, “Good morning to ye Kit”.

The woman wore a plain dark green dress with an ochre colored apron. Her long auburn hair was tied back with a kerchief and Kit noted that she had random braids as thin as a quill decorated with simple wooden beads. The color of the beads reminded Kit of the various bronzewood items around Threshold. The woman was of a slight build but had a sturdy look to her arms and poise.

“I trust ye slept well, yes?” she cooed. She had an odd brogue about her speech that sounded much like Maal’s accent- only far less harsh. “I have prepared a bath fer ya. I imagine a few days travel would be leaving you a wee bit dusty. Nothing like a warm bath to work out the journey on horse, I say!” The red haired woman had a deliberate course to her actions. She dropped a small white disc into the water and then went over to the boiling pot and poured the water into the tub. She grabbed another water filled pot and set it over the crackling fire. “Ah….a nice soapy oiled bath…” she uttered as much to herself as to Kit. Taking the brush from the side of the tub, the woman began to vigorously stir the water creating an eruption of bubbles to form and even flow over the edge.

“Come to the bath lass….before the water gets cold. I’m here to help you with all you need. You don’t need to be so shy…I have daughters of me own. But if modesty is what ye want I’ll turn meself around.” The woman waved Kit over invitingly and had a gentle look on her face.

Kit had left her crystallized companion on the end table beside the bed, Jordan wasn't even covered and she knew...

'Oh by the GODS! I am in plain sight!' Jordan suddenly realized.

...and there it was.

'Don't worry about it hun, I think this servant woman is perfectly harmless,' pathed Kit back to her.

'When she slits your throat from behind who will take care of me?'

'From your vantage point behind her, I would think you would warn me before that happened.'

'I have my eyes closed'.

'You don't have...' Kit stopped and visibly sighed. While the conversation had taken place she procrastinated in approaching the woman, wrapping herself up a little more in the bedsheet where she stood.

"The bath does indeed look inviting Ma'am, but I am not a child, I can bath myself if that is okay." Kit said a bit meekly.

“Aye, you are not a child.” The woman said in a matter-of-fact way. “The Duchess, however, wants our Threshold guests to be taken care of properly.” She poured a dark, steaming liquid from a ceramic pitcher into a large mug and held it up. “Truffle Coffee…it’s very good. There is cream and honey here as well if you would like some in it. Personally, I like it with both.”

The woman promptly added another vial of oil to the bath and stirred it again. By now Kit could smell the scented bath. Without warning, the memory of flowered fields came to her…the fields that she played in with…Kit pushed the memory aside. It was not the time for that recollection…not with company present. The bath smelled absolutely divine.

“Miss Kit, I’ll be back shortly with your clothes. I washed them earlier this morning so they could dry in the morning breeze. Don’t ye forget, ye have a cup of Truffle Coffee that ye simply must be trying if you’ve not had it. So please, enjoy the bath and make yerself at home” the woman looked at Kit and gave her a soft smile.

She opened the door to make her exit. Before leaving she turned back and remarked, “Oh, Miss Kit?” the question hung in the air “We are all honored by the presence of ye and yer friends.” With that, she glided out of the room and shut the door.

Kit let the bed sheet fall from her night dress and walked over to the luxurious bath. With her hands on the warm bronze edge of the tub, she breathed in the steam.

'It of course has to be jasmine.' Kit pathed to Jordan. The sand-dollar shaped blue crystal sat quietly. 'No Comment?'

'I like it here'.

Kit raised her eyebrows and didn’t say anything more, a quip would just antagonize the crystal, and for her to feel safe was a rare moment she wanted to enjoy. She instead just breathed in the scented steam, with her eyes closed her mind drifted into memories of the past. The warm summer days of playing in the flowered fields beside her home.

Kit raised the shoulder straps from her dress and let the silk fall in a pile about her feet. She picked up the truffle coffee and added a bit of honey before stepping into the warm oily water and lowered herself in.

'Damn you got skinny, you really should eat something, I am afraid you might snap in half'.

'Yeah well...' Kit pathed to Jordan in a smiling tone, 'that kind of happens when you lose most of your blood delivering a crystal into the world'.

'You mock me?'.

Kit giggled at her.

The bath was absolutely exquisite. Sipping the coffee she let her mind wander, trying to keep in her current time instead of succumbing to the pleasant memories of Mandin.

She had experienced and endured so much in such a short time, it was hard to suppress the distinct memories. The rage that was at the core of her power was fueled by them, constantly churned and nurtured by even the tiniest emotional threads within memory. It was a battle to contain this power that she fought each day, to keep it from slipping away and out of control.

After the birth of Jordan, she had come to understand that her powers were not only fed by a single emotion. With the powerful fear fragment of her personality thrust into Jordan, she was no longer blinded by it. She now realized that any strong emotion flared her power, whether it be love, hate, or anything else that got her body temperature up. She had to be cautious and ever mindful of her faculties. Too many times in the past, friends were hurt or facilities destroyed because of the powers caged within her had escaped.

Yes, she had to be mindful. It was one of the first lessons Grandfather Ashe had taught her days ago. How she missed the man already. Even without the value of his wisdom, the compassion behind his lessons and the kindness in his eyes, she would still miss him for his voice. She couldn't wait to return to her new home in Threshold and continue her studies with him just so she could hear it again.

She sadly discovered the cup of coffee gone. She put the cup down and found a sponge sitting on the floor. As she started to wash, she scrutinized the places where bones protruded from her frame far more than they ever had.

Some quiet moments passed and Kit could see that the blue light that blazed through the windows had changed it’s angle marking the passage of time. The water in the tub had begun to cool despite the efforts of the fire in the hearth to prevent it.

‘When you get back we shall continue your training. So prepare your mind’ Ashe had said to her. As she thought of what Ashe could possibly be plotting for her and how she was supposed to prepare for it, a light knock echoed off the door and into the room.

“Miss Kit, I have yer clothes. May I come in? I’m suspectin’ the water needs a wee bit o’refreshing and no doubt yer coffee as well.” the servant woman knowingly asked.

The woman opened the door quietly and silently entered the room. She was carrying several clothes by the hooks of the hangers. She pathed over the hearth and hung them by the fire. “Your clothes should be warmed up when you put them on. Even in the warmer season wearing toasty clothes feels good to the bone.”

She took the kettle of steaming water from the hearth and stated, “I’m going ta be puring the steamy water into your tub so be sure ta mind yer piggies.” Reflexively, Kit pulled her feet back while still trying to hide under the mountain of bubbles in the tub. Modesty seemed rare for her in the last few weeks so she wanted to keep whatever was left. Pouring the water in the woman noted Kit’s empty coffee mug. “Ahh…I see you tried the coffee, aye? ‘Tis good! A bright way to start any day I say. I’ll pour you another cup so you just stay there.” she said with a nod.

She rested the mug on a side table next to the bath. “So good Miss Kit. I would imagine you to be getting hungry after a long travel. Way food certainly offers no comfort but it does keep the grumblies away” she laughed. “What would you be liking this morn? It can be whatever you want. Duchess Nicola will be joining you for the meal here in the room so I’ll be taking a bit of time in making it for you to get dressed.”

“Aye.” the woman stated. “I’d be imagining it’s of some importance if she’s speaking to you alone.” The woman filled the coffee mug again and handed it to Kit. The warmth of the dark liquid coursed through Kit’s hands and the scent flowed up her nose like candy.

The woman shrugged her shoulders and pondered, “Then again she might’n just be wantin’ to thank ye for your care in the journey here. One never knows what thinkin’ be floatin’ through that Duchess’s head.”

She pulled the small table with honey and cream next to the tub and started for the door. As she reached for the latch the woman glanced back and smiled, “Know this Miss Kit, if Lady Nicola is meetin’ with ye, it’s not a meetin’ ta be taken lightly.”

With that, the silent stepped servant exited and closed the door with little more than a gentle click.